Nearest and Dearest
by Major Riza Elric
Summary: Edward and Riza get more than they bargin for at the Central City Train Station. How will they deal with all that ups and downs that follow?


Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

"Alright, who wants to be the lucky dog to fetch Fullmetal from the train station? His train is due in twenty minutes." Roy asked from his desk as he put his feet on his desk and checked his state alchemist pocket watch.

"Not me!" Havoc shouted from his desk, not bothering to look up from his paperwork.

"Not me!" Breda's voice followed as he dug through his desk drawer for a new pen.

"I can't." Fuery said shaking his head. "You ordered me to have this radio fixed by the end of the day." He said as he pointed to the device that lay in pieces on the desk.

"Not me." Falman said with a frown pointing to the pill of paperwork waiting for him. "I'm up to my eyeballs in paperwork."

Roy smirked as he leaned back in his chair. "I guess that leaves you, Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"Of course, sir." Riza said setting down her pen on her paperwork and standing. She grabbed her heavy winter coat off the back of her chair and pulled it on. "I shall return within an hour, sir." Riza grabbed her purse from her desk drawer and made for the door. "Do you need me to bring you anything when I return?"

"Just the stray alchemist, I don't need anymore strays than him around." The colonel said with a laugh.

"Yes sir." Riza said shaking her head as she left the office and made her way through headquarters. At the front doors she paused to pull her coat closer before walking outside into the bitter cold afternoon air of early December. Quickly she made her way to the Colonel's car in the officer's parking lot and got in before the freezing air could chill her thoroughly.

Riza turned on the car and quickly cranked up the heat so she could make the short drive to the Central City train station. When she arrived she parked as close to the doors as she could and looked at her watch. Less than five minutes until Edward's train was set to arrive, if it was early then he would be waiting on the platform. Reluctantly, Riza turned off the heat and the car before stepping back into the cold. She hurried across the parking lot and into the station, out of the harsh wind. It was still chilly inside so she left her coat on and made her way to platform three where Edward's train should have been arriving any time.

The platform was almost empty except a couple waiting on the train's arrival and a single station employee. Riza approached the old man in the dark gray uniform, "Excuse me, sir, when is the train arriving?"

The skinny old man turned to her and smiled, showing the gaps in his teeth. "It was twenty minutes behind at the last check point but it could still be in any minute."

"Thank you, sir." Riza said with a polite smile. She turned away before letting the frown slide into place and made her way to a bench. If she went to sit in the warm car she could miss the Fullmetal Alchemist but remaining on the platform meant being cold but she knew that the latter was her only real choice so she resigned herself to wait.

The cold air pressed in around Riza as she pulled her coat closer to her chest and tried in vain to keep warm on the wooden bench. Part of her was silently thankful for the fact that this was not a metal bench but another part of her wordlessly cursed the Flame Alchemist for putting her out here in the cold when someone of lower rank could have done the same job. A sigh escaped her lips and the warm breath left a momentary impression in the heavy air, which only dampened her mood further.

For what felt like an eternity, Riza sat there darkly staring at the train tracks. She ignored the slow trickle of people entering the platform to join the rest waiting on the engine to pull in. None of this motion or noise disturbed the Lieutenant until a soft whimper of a baby broke through the barrier Riza had put up around her.

Glancing around for the cause of the sound, Riza saw not a single baby on the platform. Riza shook her head, the cold was obviously getting to her because she didn't hear anything now, it had been a figment of her imagination. With nothing else to do she resumed staring at the empty track into the platform. After a couple long minutes Riza broke her line of vision and looked at her wrist watch. Almost thirty minutes had passed since Edward's train was supposed to arrive, so much for reporting back to headquarters with in the hour. Another long sigh escaped the Lieutenant's lips as she focused her concentration on the ground in front of her.

Again her attention was broken by the almost inaudible whimper of a baby. This time she was sure that it was not her imagination so she scanned the platform for a second time. Once more Riza could find no infant anywhere.

"I must be missing it somewhere." Riza muttered to herself as she scanned the platform again. "So much for having the eyes of the hawk." Riza frowned and placed her elbows on her knees so she could balance her chin in her palms. After a long silent moment the soft cry resonated through the silence. Riza surveyed the platform once more only to have her search be in vain. The lieutenant did notice during this check of the platform that she seemed to be the only one concerned with the crying infant. "Why am I the only one to notice?" Riza asked herself softly. With a shrug of her shoulder she resigned herself to wait patiently on the bench and ignore the cries.

For maybe five minutes this worked for Riza then a particularly loud cry pierced through her barrier. Yet again, the lieutenant scanned the platform to turn up nothing. She shook her head and to clear away the thoughts of crying infants.

Once more she heard the soft whimper but this time that fact didn't bother Riza for as she looked at the tracks the train pulled into the station. As soon as the locomotive had come to a complete stop the doors were thrown open and people began to pour onto the platform. She became distracted from the small noise as she stood to search for the young man in his red coat.

After ever other person had emerged from the train car, the Fullmetal Alchemist stepped out onto the platform. He wore his usual black clothing topped with his blood-red coat, carried his typical tattered suitcase, and had his nose buried in an alchemy book.

Riza called out to get the young man's attention. "Edward! Over here."

Edward looked up and a smile lit up his face. "Hello, Lieutenant Hawkeye!" He called as he waved at Riza, then made his way to her.

Riza reached out and took Edward's suitcase as he drew closer. "How was your trip?"

"Pretty uneventful." Edward said with a shrug then he put his closed alchemy book under his arm. "How have things in Central been?"

Before Riza could answer the forgotten noise pierced the silence between them. Riza scanned the now empty platform and still could not locate the infant that she knew had to be making the whimpering cries. "There's that noise again."

"It sounds like a baby." Edward said softly as he looked around.

"It is but there's no one on the platform."

"It has to be here somewhere." Edward said as he turned around to search for the source of the noise.

Riza stood silent listening, another small cry came from somewhere behind her. She turned and scanned the platform behind her. All that she saw was a couple of benches, nothing else was there, no infant to be making the noise. "I don't see a baby."

Edward turned to look in the same direction as Riza. "There." Edward said pointing to one of the benches pushed against the wall of the platform. Riza looked where Ed was pointing to see a basket under the wooden seat.

"Oh no." Riza whispered as her and Edward hurried over to the bench and crouched down. Riza reached out and pulled the wooden basket from under the bench. Inside wrapped in a baby blanket was a small infant.

"I can't believe someone left a baby here." Edward said softly as he set his suitcase down beside him.

Riza reached out to pick up the little one out of the basket, she made sure to keep the baby wrapped in the blanket and to support her head. A slip of paper floated away from the blanket and fell to the ground. "You're such a cute little girl." Riza said as she slowly rocked the infant to calm her.

"Look." Edward said picking up the note. "Someone left a note with her."

"I'm sure I know what it says but read it anyway." Riza said as she got the whimpering baby girl to settle down.

Edward sighed as he glanced over the note then he read it aloud to Riza. "Thank you kind stranger for taking in my daughter, Sophie Rose, she is eighteen weeks old and I have found myself unable to care for her any longer. These last few weeks have been hard on us living in the slums and now the cold has become unbearable. I want my daughter to be taken in by a good family and have a chance to survive, to have a normal childhood, out of poverty. Please take good care of her. A loving mother."

Riza sighed. "I guess we should get this little girl out of the cold, no telling how long she's been out her."

Edward nodded in agreement as he stuffed the note in his pocket and picked up the basket and his suitcase. "Let's take her to Headquarters and have a doctor look her over."

"Good idea." Riza said as she stood carefully, adjusting the now sleeping baby in her arms.

Edward stood and followed Riza out of the train station to where she had parked the car. "I'll drive." Edward said as he approached the driver side.

Riza nodded and carefully adjusted the baby so she could reach into her pocket for the keys. She unlocked her door then tossed Edward the keys before getting in the car. Riza got situated as Ed got in the car, placing his luggage and the basket in the back seat, before turning on the vehicle. "Turn on the heat, please." Riza said softly as to not wake up the baby. Ed nodded and reached over to turn on the heat. After a long moment, the air blew warm and the chill began to leave Riza. Once it was warm in the car, Riza pulled the blanket away from the baby to find her dressed in a tattered, too small, long sleeve shirt, a holy pair of pants, and a pair of oversized socks. "She needs warmer clothes, these are barely covering her." Riza said with a frown then slowly pulled the green hat off the little girl's head to see messy, dirty, blonde hair.

Edward smiled, "She's cute."

"Don't get to attached we will be turning her over to the orphanage after she's been checked by a doctor." Riza said with a small sigh. "Now, please drive us back to headquarters."

"You got it." Edward said as he pulled the car out onto the road.

The two were silent for the short trip back to Central Command and Edward parked the car back in Colonel Mustang's space. "Usually I avoid the Colonel for as long as possible when I get back but I'm hurrying straight to his office this time." Edward said with a laugh.

"I think that you have a pretty good distraction on your side today." Riza said with a smile.

"I guess I should find orphaned children more often." Edward said with a smirk as he turned off the car.

Riza just shook her head as she bundled the little girl up tight before getting out of the car.

Edward pulled out his suitcase and the basket out of the back seat before getting out of the car and walking around to Riza's side. He placed the keys in Riza's pocket then silently lead the way inside out of the bitter cold. The halls of headquarters were empty and the two soldiers quickly made their way back to Mustang's office. Edward paused in front of the office door and hesitated in opening the door.

"Open the door already, Edward." Riza said with a small smile. "There's no use in procrastinating. The Colonel will have a distraction at least for a little while with this little girl." Riza said indicating the sleeping baby in her arms.

Edward nodded with a soft sigh and opened the office door.

"What took you so long?" Mustang barked from behind his desk in the empty office. "Was Fullmetal trying to avoid reporting in again?"

"I wasn't avoiding anything!" Edward yelled angrily.

Riza shushed Edward softly before turning to the Colonel. "Sir, Edward's train was delayed and then we found an abandoned child."

The Flame Alchemist jumped up from his chair. "You didn't pick it up did you?!" He shouted as he pushed his pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Of course, we brought her with us. We couldn't just leave her in the cold." Riza stated matter-of-factly as she approached Mustang's desk.

"Don't you know Amestris Law Lieutenant?" Roy asked angrily.

"What's the problem with saving an innocent child from freezing to death?" Edward asked, his temper flaring.

"Damn it, you two would have to pick up strays!" The Colonel yelled pounding his fist on the desk.

The sound woke the sleeping infant and she began to cry loudly. Riza quickly started to rock the baby, hoping to soothe her. "Colonel, stop yelling and banging on your desk now!" Riza hissed angrily. "Speak in a civilized tone and explain what has you so fired up."

Mustang took a deep breath and released a heavy sigh before sitting roughly in his chair. "I suggest both of you take a seat for this." Roy said indicating the two chairs in front of his large oak desk.

"I'll stay standing." Edward muttered as he set the suitcase and basket on the floor. He defiantly placed his flesh and automail arms on the back of one of the chairs to remain standing.

Riza sat down gently, still rocking the fussing infant trying to calm her into silence once more.

Mustang sighed again and looked between his two subordinates. "Obviously you two are not familiar with Amestris Law."

"Sir, I studied Amestris Law in the Academy." Riza said with the frown. "I know the laws quite well."

"Obviously not." Roy muttered shaking his head. "Do you remember Order number 1773 in the Amestris Law?"

Riza nodded, "Of course, it's also referred to as the family act."

"Do you know exactly what it says or just have a general idea?" The Colonel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Riza was silent for a moment. "Just the general idea, it wasn't something the Military Academy felt we needed to go into depth on."

Colonel Mustang stood and turned his back on his two subordinates. "In general it covers the laws of marriage, divorce, raising a family, adoption, and orphaned children. The part that pertains to the two of you is section 89 which basically says that any person or persons who pick up an abandoned child will become the guardians and in the interest of keeping with the nuclear family, any woman and man who take in a child will be wed unless one party has already entered into the sanctity of marriage."

"What the hell kind of law is that?" Edward muttered angrily, clenching his fist.

Roy turned around a frown upon his face. "It was written in the late 1700's and no one has changed the law since. It also says in section 7 that any man and woman entering into a marriage will live together a full year before they will be eligible for a divorce and that all those seeking a divorce must attend marriage counseling."

"You mean that we have to pretend to be some cute happy little family for at least the next year?" Edward asked as his fist shook with anger.

"No, we don't get to pretend, Edward, we have to be one." Riza said softly as she stared blankly at the baby in her arms. "The military has a family affairs branch that deals with all of this and we will have an officer assigned to our case so he will be making regular home visits to make sure that we are creating a happy, healthy environment for this child."

"The Lieutenant is correct Fullmetal." Roy said as he sat back down in his chair. "The two of you will need to report to Colonel Pierce this afternoon to sign all the documents that accompany this child."

"Wait, wait." Edward said waving his hands in front of his chest. "Can't we just drop this kid off at the nearest orphanage and pretend that none of this happened."

"That won't work, Fullmetal." Mustang said as he propped his elbows on the desk and laced his fingers together. "If anyone witnessed this and found out that you left the child at the orphanage now could have you court martial."

"I am not getting a court martial on my record." Riza said to Edward.

"Well the sooner the two of you report to Colonel Pierce the better." The Flame Alchemist said dismissively.

Riza stood and motioned with one hand for Edward to follow. The two silently made their way out of the Colonel's office into the hallway. Once the door was shut Riza leaned against it and sighed. "Well we have a few problems to work out."

"I still don't understand why we can't take this little girl to the orphanage." Edward said angrily as he paced.

"Sophie."

"What?"

"Her name is Sophie, and whether or not you help take care of her doesn't matter but she is not going to an orphanage now." Riza said anger flashing in her eyes.

"So both of our lives have to be ruined over one child that someone else didn't care enough about to keep." Edward said his expression hardening in anger.

"No, I'll go alone to Colonel Pierce and say that I found Sophie myself." Riza said as she pushed herself away from the closed office door and started down the hallway.

Edward angrily traipsed after Riza, "You can't take care of her alone."

"I would rather take care of her alone than force you to help." Riza said without looking back at Ed.

The Fullmetal Alchemist stopped in his tracks. "There has to be a solution for this problem."

Riza stopped and turned to face Edward. "There is. We sign all this stupid paperwork to get married and adopt Sophie then for the next year we jump through all the ridiculous hoops the law and military require. At the end of the year we apply for a divorce and go our separate ways with me as Sophie's guardian."

Edward sighed dejectedly. "Fine, but I don't think it will be that simple."


End file.
